FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art undercarriage. The undercarriage is mounted to pivot about an axis 5 relative to an aircraft structure between a retracted position and a deployed position, the undercarriage being stabilized in the deployed position by a brace member comprising a breaker strut 2 having two hinged-together connecting rods 2a and 2b. When the undercarriage is in the deployed position, the two connecting rods 2a and 2b are held substantially in mutual alignment by a stabilizing member 3 having two hinged-together links 3a and 3b that are likewise held substantially in mutual alignment by a locking member that comprises, in this example, springs coupled to one of the links in order to urge them towards a substantially-aligned position that is defined by internal abutments.
The strut 2 is coupled firstly to the leg of the undercarriage, and secondly to the structure of the aircraft, while the locking member is coupled firstly to the strut 2 and secondly to the leg, or else to the structure of the aircraft.
It is known to cause the undercarriage to move by making use firstly of a raising actuator, e.g. an actuator 8 coupled to the leg of the undercarriage, and secondly an unlocking actuator 9 that serves to make the locking member inactive.
Thus, starting from the deployed position, the unlocking actuator 9 is actuated initially, which acts against the stabilizing member 3 in order to force the two links of the stabilizing member 3 to move out of alignment, consequently forcing the two connecting rods of the strut to move out of alignment. Once moved out of alignment in this way, they can no longer oppose raising of the undercarriage under drive from the raising actuator.
It is known to use a hydraulic actuator as the unlocking actuator 9. Nevertheless, in order to simplify the management of the various actuators within an aircraft, the person skilled in the art is seeking to replace hydraulic actuators with electric actuators. Electric actuators are already available, but they remain complex, cumbersome to implement, and also to keep in operational condition.